Opinion

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Buy local food

Letter to the Editor

Updated:
02/10/2013 12:12:17 PM EST

The YDR article on Dave Dietz was excellent. Small farmers can't make a living anymore, which is why they are disappearing in large numbers. Huge farms that get subsidies growing GMO crops produce food so cheaply that people look at organic, locally grown food prices and think they're high. We pay far too little for food in this country, but it's only because of government subsidies to very large corporate farms.

In fact, our dirt cheap exports have caused disasters for local farmers in other countries like Mexico, Haiti and Jamaica and many more. Their small farmers just can't compete with industrial, subsidized food either. This system insures that one day all small farmers will be gone and only corporate food will remain. More small local farms would employ more people and insure much healthier food too.

We all have to support local markets and farmers or industrial food sold through corporate outlets will be our only choice. We will lose control of prices when there is no local competition. We must also relearn how to grow our own food. Our food system is unsustainable as is -- something is going to change. I say we change it on our terms instead of those by CEOs in China or our own FDA who supports the corporate trampling of our local farmers, markets and businesses. Who are you helping by buying the produce grown in Mexico or Ecuador? Please buy local, who's your local farmer? STEVE IZZOBROGUE